Fathers

Posted by LisaV | 0 comments

When I realized my next blog post was set to publish on my dad’s birthday, I knew I wanted to write about him. As I reflect back on my growing up years, I am thankful to have a dad who is kind, gentle, constantly smiling, and loves children. Everyone has always told me that I look like my dad, with which I wholeheartedly agree. My brother is also tall and thin like our dad and characterized by a gentle, quiet spirit.

When our firstborn son arrived over 14 years ago, my first thought upon peering at his face was that he looked just like my father. My dad loves to hold babies and has a calming effect on them.

Happy Birthday to my dad! Thank you for providing, loving, and caring for us through all these years. Dad made our bottles at night when my brother and I were babies, drove us to school when the weather turned cold, helped us with our math homework, jump-started our cars when our batteries died, and paid our school bills when we were in college. We watched Dad gracefully handle illness when he was diagnosed with a serious blood disease, fought a bout with tuberculosis, and continue to work and live life as his family depended on him.

It’s neat to watch our children relate to their grandparents, as I have no memory of my own grandparents. To see the connection between the generations, of how they saved and sacrificed so their grandchildren could have more, is significant to me.

As I think about fathers, I also want to thank my Heavenly Father for supplying all our need, for giving us hope and a future, and for offering forgiveness of sins through his Son so that we need not be afraid of death. Instead, we who believe in Him look forward to a home in heaven and eternal life without pain, suffering, or tears.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Lisa Van Dong has been teaching her two sons since 2004 and attempts to incorporate study, work, service, and play into their homeschooling days. She takes an eclectic approach to homeschooling and enjoys reading, writing, editing, and essential oils. Lisa blogs publicly at Pockets of Time and privately at Scooter and B.